


cutting it close

by thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Bald Kylo Ren, Baldo Ren, Blame the Discord, Canon Compliant, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Hair Braiding, Oral Sex, Poor Baldo, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, You all drove me to this, now with smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-02 05:25:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14537613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriarLily/pseuds/thewayofthetrashcompactor
Summary: After a fiery accident, newly redeemed Ben Organa Solo ends up in the Resistance's infirmary. He's mostly unharmed, except for the loss of something very critical.He may never be the same.





	1. A New Baldo

Rey sits beside Ben's bed in the infirmary, watching her partner as he does his very best Skywalker sulk, as Leia’s termed it. The med droids have finished their examination and left them alone, but Ben still hasn't spoken. His injuries turned out to be surprisingly minor, after he'd crashed a stolen tie fighter in a fiery explosion. Somehow he'd escaped with only superficial wounds: a couple cuts, some scrapes, and patches of burns. The worst of it is...well.

Now that the panic that had overwhelmed her when she'd first felt the accident has passed, Rey can fully take in Ben's state. She can honestly say she'd never imagined what he would look like without his hair. Now that he's lying in bed completely bald, what wasn't burned away shaved off by the med droids to examine him for damage, she can't deny the the image he makes is an odd one. He lays perfectly rigid in the bed, glaring up at the ceiling. His large ears stick out at an unfortunate angle from his smooth, round skull, and her lips twitch against her will. 

Unfortunately, Ben senses her momentary amusement through the bond, and he glares even harder, refusing to acknowledge her. 

“It's not so bad,” she finally says, cocking her head. 

He turns his head briefly to throw her a withering glare and doesn't respond.

“It'll grow back eventually.”

His look turns to one of horror. “But the burns! What if it doesn't?”

“Then we'll get you a new cowl.” Her lips twitch again as she tries not to smile.

“I can't be bald,” he says in a tone of such disdain that she almost rolls her eyes. “The only thing the Skywalkers are stronger in than the Force is their hair. Ben Solo isn't bald. And neither was Kylo Ren. What am I supposed to be, Baldo Ren?”

She can't contain her laughter any longer, which only makes him scowl at her more fiercely. It takes her several seconds before she can contain herself. “It'll be okay,” she says at last. “You make a very handsome Baldo Ren.”

His scowl looks all the more impressive for the absence of his hair. “If Dameron hears you saying that,” he says threateningly.

“Then I'll shave him too,” she assures him.

“Good.” He crosses his arms petulantly and settles back to glaring at the ceiling. 

“It really isn't that bad.” She represses the thought that she may be trying to convince herself as much as him. She runs her hand over his head, taking care to avoid the bacta patches. The hard bone of his skull is just below her fingers, unprotected and vulnerable, separated only by a thin layer of skin. She thinks again how close he came to much worse, not for the first or last time, and her other hand comes up to clutch at his. The movement startles him out of his sulk, and he looks at her with concern, recognizing the emotion in her eyes.

“It's fine; I'm here,” he assures her, squeezing her hand back. “Well. Most of me is.”

She does roll her eyes at that. Ever the dramatic. “Fortunately, I haven't been spending all this time with you for your hair,” she says dryly. Her thumb rubs against his forehead while her hand still cradles his head. His hand is warm in hers. 

“I bet it was part of the reason though,” he grumbles. 

She sighs. “It was, definitely,” she says with mock seriousness. “But the real reason I keep you around is for your pretty eyes.”

A smile flickers at the edge of his mouth. “Well, I still have those.” He looks up at her earnestly. “Does that mean you'll still have me?”

She pretends to consider, but can't keep it up for long with the uncertainty she feels from him. “I guess so,” she says warmly, and leans over to kiss his bald head. She lays a long kiss there, followed by a flurry of short ones across the delicate skin. The pulse of his heart runs under her lips. She ends at his ears, stopping to nibble at the sensitive lobes. They're flushed red by the time she withdraws, and she's pleased to see a matching blush high on his cheeks. “Always,” she promises. 

His tilts his head up to meet her lips. They kiss, slow and deep, and her heart swells with affection for him. “It'll take more than Baldo Ren to make me give up on you.” She smiles down at him. 

“I'm glad,” he whispers, bringing her hand up to his mouth to kiss it. The lingering presses of his lips across her knuckles and then up to her wrists have her flushed soon too, and breathing a little harder. His dark eyes watch hers intently, and she feels the curve of his mouth against her hand. She starts to wonder how far they can take this in his narrow cot, when voices out in the hall interrupt them. She glances back over her shoulder and sighs. Leia will want to hear from her soon.

Ben notices her distraction and falls back to the bed with a matching sigh. He winces and raises a hand to his neck. Rey looks at him with concern. 

“You okay?” He nods and winces again. “I can get the droid - “

“No, it's fine.” His hand subconsciously steals up to his head to rub at the bare skin there. “It'll be fine,” he repeats, and she knows he's assuring himself as well as her. 

“Good,” she says, giving his head a final tender caress. “Because the other reason I keep you around is for all the sex. So you better get out of here soon so we can catch up on that.”

His eyes widen almost comically. His mouth opens and closes a few times until he finally manages, “I'll do my best.”

“Perfect.” She stands and then leans over him for one last kiss. They meet each other desperately, neither wanting to break away. Finally, he falls back to his bed with a grunt. His scowl has returned, though she knows it's not for her. “I'll be back tonight,” she promises. He looks up at her and gives her a small smile. 

“I'll be waiting.”

She leaves reluctantly, hand lingering in his until the last moment. She turns back at the door to find him still watching her. The loose medical gown they've given him somehow manages to make his powerful body look almost lanky, and with his bald head, protruding ears, and scattered bruises, he looks much more awkward and vulnerable than she's used to seeing him. Her heart pangs in sympathy, and she vows that he won't hear a single person say anything about his newly shorn appearance, even if she has to keep Poe’s mouth shut with the Force. 

“Love you,” she tells him. 

He raises a brow. “Baldo and all?” he asks with a wry twist of his lips.

“Baldo and all,” she says, smiling, with the utmost sincerity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Subtitle: the Baldo Ren fic literally no one asked for, but you got anyway.  
> (Baldo needs love too <3)
> 
> Also on [tumblr](http://thewayofthetrashcompactor.tumblr.com/post/172932499708/cutting-it-close-aka-the-baldo-fic-youve-all)
> 
> And, for a special May the Fourth treat! Look out for part two tonight: The Return of Baldo.


	2. Return of Baldo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, no one asked for this, but you're getting it anyway.
> 
> Note the rating change!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's Here
> 
> Happy Revenge of the Fifth!

The doctor recommended that Ben stay in the infirmary for a week, to make sure that none of his head injuries had resulted in lasting damage. At Ben's insistence, and with many promises from both him and Rey, he’s let go early and allowed to return to their quarters after three days, as long as he spends most of his time in bed, is supervised when he leaves, and doesn't engage in any strenuous activity. Rey promises Doctor Kalonia very seriously that she’ll do her best to keep Ben in bed as much as possible. She can see Ben's flush from under the hood he's created from a disassembled tunic. It's a lighter imitation of his old cowl, though this has the effect of making him more like a trader from Jakku than a terrifying dark knight. The doctor barely restrains herself from rolling her eyes but lets them go.

Rey takes Ben's hand and nearly drags him from the infirmary, and he follows willingly. They never had the chance to fully act on their life-affirming urges after Ben's near miss, and the tension has been building for days. They pass Leia on the way out, who was undoubtedly coming to check on her son. Her expression forms a mix of worry, embarrassment, and amusement as they rush by her with a quick greeting.

“If you end up back in the med bay over this, so help me Ben Chewbacca Organa Solo!“ she calls after them.

Ben chokes, and even Rey flushes, but it's not enough to get them to slow down.  No one else stops them in their hurry back to their quarters. Technically, the small room is Rey's, but no one had been about to object to the two most powerful Force users on the new base once Ben had been let out of restraints and moved directly in with her.

Rey's fingers fumble over the code as she punches it in, but finally the door slides open and they stumble inside. Their lips crash together before the door has even closed. Rey’s hands run over every inch of Ben she can reach, delighting in being able to touch him without worrying about being interrupted by droids or the doctor or anyone else. Ben holds her face to him, thumbs brushing her cheeks, large hands covering her jaw.  

He kisses her like he’s just as desperate as she is, sweeping into her mouth with the force of a storm. Her hand slips under his cowl and curls around the back of his neck, fingers rubbing against the sensitive bare skin there. Stray hairs have started to grow back in patches, and the stubble pokes her hand. She wonders if it really will all come back. Ben might end up in the med bay again if it doesn’t. She can’t imagine him deciding to go bald forever, and the thought flashes through her mind of him in a wig, which for some reason appears as a ridiculous blonde in her thoughts. She laughs into his mouth, and Ben pulls back.

“What?” he ask suspiciously, possibly having some idea of the direction of her thoughts.

She shakes her head. “Nothing.” A mischievous smile is spread across her face and he ducks and kisses the corner of it. She turns her head into it and kisses him again, deeply.

When he breaks away for air, panting, he looks at her with the kind of awe that never fails to make her heart beat faster. “Force, I missed you,” he breathes.

She smiles and kisses his chin. “You saw me every day.”

He lands a kiss on her nose and she wrinkles it, still grinning up at him. “Still missed you.”

She draws his mouth back down to hers instead of answering, but privately, she agrees. She’s gotten used to sharing her bed with him shockingly quickly, and she hates the nights that they spend apart. The way they wrap around each other reminds her that’s she’s not alone anymore, and he makes an excellent heat source. Not to mention the other benefits of keeping him every night.

His thoughts have gone along the same path as hers, because his hands have dropped to the hem of her shirt. She lets go of him for a moment so he can pull it over her head, and she takes advantage of the opening to remove his as well. The cowl has to go first, so she pushes it back from his head and unwraps it from where he’s carefully draped it around his shoulders. His eyes drop to the floor when his bare head is revealed again, and she wraps her hand around the back of it comfortingly, spreading her hand across his skin.

“Hey,” she says softly, cupping her other hand under his chin to get him to look at her. He does, reluctantly. “Baldo and all, remember?”

A ghost of a smile passes over his lips. “Baldo and all,” he murmurs, brushing his hand over her cheek. She meets him in a slow kiss, then pulls back to toss his shirt aside.

His hands have already taken advantage of her discarded shirt and missing breast band, coming up to cover her small breasts as if magnetically drawn there. He smooths his hands over them, and her nipples tighten against his palms. He pulls back to tug at them, rolling them between his fingers, then simply cups her chest, looking down to admire how it looks in his huge hands.

“Kriff, I love these,” he mutters against her lips. “So perfect.” She laughs. He’s expressed his deep appreciation for the small mounds of flesh before, even spent an entire night showing her just how much he liked them. She’d never had any reason to feel lacking in that or any area under his attentions, and she’d paid him back by spending the next night examining every inch of him.

He drops to his knees to worship her breasts with his mouth. One side is covered by warmth and wetness, his tongue lapping against her, while his hand works the other, knowing just how to mix sharp pinches with gentle caresses to have her panting in no time. He switches sides, teeth scraping against her swollen nipple as he leaves, and her hands hold him to her.

It’s a shock, at first, doing this and not being able to thread her fingers through his luscious hair, and he seems to recognize her momentary hesitation. He returns to his task with even more determination, eyes fixed ahead. She  cradles his skull in her hands, thumbs fitting just behind his ears and fingers spreading across the expanse of skin down to his neck. She’s almost afraid to grip him too hard like this, his vulnerabilities all too exposed. But then he nips at the sensitive underside of her breast, and she digs her fingers into his delicate skin. He smiles against her breast and does it again.

Her breasts feel heavy and sensitive by the time he’s done with them, red with his attentions. He’s reluctant to leave them, and she misses his hair again when she can’t use it to tug him away and direct him further down.

“Ben,” she moans, and he looks up, mouth wrapped around her nipple. She pushes gently on the broad crown of his head, and he quickly gets the message. His hands slide under her pants and push them to the floor along with her underwear. She kicks them away and leans back against the foot of the bed, opening herself to him. Somehow, he’s even more enamored of this than her breasts, and she flushes at the hot admiration in his eyes as he swipes his fingers between her legs.

“So wet, Rey,” he sighs, then sucks her slick arousal off his hand. She moans.

“Ben, please.”

Instead of leaning in to her, he stands. She looks up at him in confusion and he grabs her by the waist and tosses her back onto the bed. She laughs as she bounces. He crawls over her, eyes sweeping over her with burning intensity  as he smirks.

“Want to take my time.”

He kisses her, and she sweeps her tongue into his mouth, catching her taste on him. She smoothes a hand over his head and then playfully pushes downward. He gives her lip a parting nip and complies.

Her legs are spread wide on the bed to make room for his broad shoulders, and she shivers as the cool air hits the wetness that’s been gathering between her thighs. He hooks his arms under her legs and holds her hips firmly in his hands. He looks up at her with dark eyes as he lowers his mouth. He licks up the entire length of her, collecting her wetness on his tongue, and she cries out when his tongue flicks her clit. He spends time teasing around her entrance, licking around her swollen lower lips, before finally spreading his mouth over her. His tongue thrusts deep, curling into her. She arches into his mouth, hands tearing at the sheets before landing on his head.

She comes back to herself just enough to remember not to dig her fingers into his skull, without the protective layer she can usually pull on. Her hands flutter helplessly for a second before finally landing on his ears. She tugs the sensitive lobes, and he gives a surprised grunt into her. She jerks but then pauses, reaching through her haze to him, worried that she’s hurt him. Instead of pain though, she feels a wave of embarrassed pleasure across the bond. She smiles up at the ceiling. She knows he’s sensitive about his ears, always carefully arranging his hair to hide them. He didn’t like her touching them at first, always afraid she’d find some reason to run away from him, but she’d accidentally found how sensitive they could be and has always loved how they flush red, especially in the midst of their activities. He’s long since given in to teasing kisses or the graze of her teeth over them, and it turns out they make excellent handles as well. She gently tugs them again, and he buries his mouth in her with renewed intensity.

With his tongue writhing in and out of her, his nose nudges just around her clit with every roll of her hips, and it’s enough to push her right over the edge. She shouts his name and spills more wetness into his waiting mouth, but he doesn’t relent for a moment. He wraps one arm further around her so that it presses low on her stomach, keeping her in place for him and pinned to the bed, then slides the other around underneath his chin. His tongue slips out of her, lingering around her entrance before drifting upwards and curling around her clit. At the same time, one, then two fingers slide into her, and she clenches around them. She’s dizzy with pleasure, but she’s ready for all of him, wants to feel his whole body against hers.

“More,” she demands breathlessly, pulling his ears in emphasis, but he stays put. A third finger joins the other two, stretching and spreading her for him. His mouth breaks away from her, panting, and his warm breath plays over her damp folds.

“You taste so good Rey, sweetheart, could kriffing live off this.” His nose nuzzles in the short hair between her legs and his fingers pump slowly in and out of her. It has her climbing back up again, tension gathering everywhere he touches, but it’s not enough.

“Fuck me, Ben.” She curls her hand around his ear, rubbing her thumb over the soft lobe. Despite the fact that he has her arousal smeared across his face, he still blushes.

“I will sweetheart,” he promises, then shoves his fingers back into her and circles his thumb over her clit. “Just not yet.”

He sets his mouth to her again, sucking and licking her clit, all while his fingers keep an annoyingly steady pace in and out of her. She writhes on the bed, but his hand keeps her from escaping his caresses, and the pressure of it makes her buck against him. He slows down as she’s just on the edge, and she begs him with tears in her eyes.

“Ben!”

“Come for me, Rey,” he whispers, then thrusts his fingers forward and curls them up towards his hand on her stomach. She shatters around him. He works her through her orgasm, keeping his hands and mouth gentle on her until she lightly pushes him away, hand sliding over his head. Sweat shines on his skull under the yellow light of the room.

“C’mere.” He willingly crawls over her, and she pulls his smooth head down to hers. Her slickness spreads across both their faces, and she tastes the salt and musk of them mixed together. She wraps her legs around his hips, and is annoyed to find his pants haven’t been removed yet.

“Why do you still have these on?” she grouses, shoving at them in frustration.

He shrugs, and she feels his pleasure that she wants him so much. “Got distracted.” He kneels over her and shoves his pants down over his hips. His erection springs out, and her mouth waters. He’s thick and hard and slick with precome, and she wants to take him in her hand or her mouth. He’s hairless here too, likely another effort by the droids, and it somehow manages to make him look even bigger than normal. Her hands itch to wrap around him, but the pants have to go first before she distracts him again. He rolls on his side to kick his pants the rest of the way off, then rolls back on top of her. She arches her hips so that he fits in the cradle of them, pressing up against her slickness. It’s all so smooth, sliding against her effortlessly. He groans, panting into her ear.

“Come on Ben, so ready for you, been so long.” She nips at his ear and smoothes her hand over his head.

“Kriff, Rey.” He reaches between them and lines himself up between her legs.

They both barely breathe as he pushes in, so caught up in the sensation. He fills her so well, hot and hard inside of her. Her body spreads around him, letting his thickness sink into her until he’s hips are pressed into hers.

“Rey, you feel so good,” he moans, laying kisses across her face. “So hot, so wet for me, sweetheart.” He thrusts again, slowly, too slowly. “You take it all so well, so tight Rey.”

“Yes, Ben, give me all of it, fuck me,” she pleads. His hips snap into hers and she shouts. “Yes!”

She rolls her hips up to him, meeting him in an instinctual rhythm. Waves of emotion pass over them through the bond, pleasure and excitement and love, everything all tangled up in each other. He says her name over and over, half aloud and half in their heads.

_Yes, right there_ , she says through the bond, when he tilts his hips to hit exactly the right spot, then yells aloud when he does it again.

_We’re going to get complaints from the other pilots again_ , he says to her, half embarrassed and half pleased. She grins in satisfaction.

_Good,_ she says, with a savage thrill. Her teeth catch on his ear as he buries his head to suck a mark into her neck. He thrusts hard into her, and her voice reaches a new pitch. _Mine, you’re all mine._

_Yours_ , he repeats back. _Everything, all yours._ . His hand curls over her hip and stretches to rub at her clit. She jolts and clenches around him, and he lets out an almost pained groan. _So close, Rey, please_.

She drags one hand over his back, nails digging in and marking him, while the other cradles his head to her throat. Her fingers dance across his skull in frantic patterns, his own desperation quickly pushing her to another peak.

_You have me Ben_. He rears up and kisses her, then swells inside of her. He moans into her lips as he fills her, the sparks of his pleasure bursting over her through the bond. He thrusts gently into her as he works through his orgasm, and it’s enough to push her over, screaming and coming around him. He takes her screams, closing his eyes in total satisfaction.

He slumps over her, then groans and rolls them onto their sides, never fully leaving her. She strokes his head, and he leans into her touch. She stretches up to press a kiss on the top of his head, lingering against the skin there. His heart beats faster, but she holds him until he relaxes.

“Love you so much,” she whispers, and he looks at her with the kind of heartbreaking amazement that makes her want to kiss him again and never stop.

“Love you too,” he says, lips finding their way back to hers. “More than anything.” And she knows the truth of that in her soul.

She wraps her arms around him, one around his chest, one curling to rest on his head. She smoothes her fingers over his baldness absently, and he pulls her closer. She thinks she could even get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let you know what you think! I'm also on [tumblr](http://thewayofthetrashcompactor.tumblr.com)


	3. Baldo Strikes Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I was done with this, but then [Penethia](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Penethia) left an absolutely wonderful comment on the last chapter about beautiful sand gremlin Rey daring anyone to fuck with Baldo, and that was too inspiring to ignore. And then this inspired another chapter, so hopefully I'll have that up by the end of the month!
> 
> This also was inspired by a [ recent prompt](https://reylohardkinks.tumblr.com/post/173689187390/rey-is-giving-kylo-a-blowjob-when-suddenly-he) on [Reylo Hard Kinks](https://reylohardkinks.tumblr.com/), which was actually incredibly soft, and I couldn't pass it up. 
> 
> (Also, I know the chapter titles are out of order, blame George Lucas)
> 
> Thank you so, so much to everyone who's left comments. I absolutely love seeing all of you having unexpected emotions over Baldo. I also can't believe this spite crack has developed feelings. Thank you all for your kind words! It means so much and keeps me writing <3

In accordance with Ben’s fears, his hair doesn’t grow back all together. Hair sprouts from the unburned patches fairly quickly; he says he’s used to it growing fast, and complains that it itches as it comes back in. But the burned areas remain stubbornly bare, which sends Ben into a panic more than once. He’s ready to shave it all off again, far more roughly than he deserves, but Rey manages to convince him to wait, give it a chance to grow. 

So he wanders around the Resistance base, head half buzzed short, half burned bald. His tan cowl is now a permanent part of his ensemble, wrapped tight around his head, as if it can keep the rest of the base from noticing the absence of his previously carefully maintained locks. No one dares to say anything to him in person, or even generally within his sight, but Rey notices a few snickers behind his back. Out of respect for the general, she doesn’t challenge any of the whisperers to a duel, but the base does spring a couple carefully placed leaks over certain people’s bunks. 

Rey spends most of her days reading the Jedi texts and learning about the Force, usually with Ben’s help, which takes them away from the base. This morning, though, Leia commed him early to get his opinion on a planned mission, and Rey promised to meet up with him at the briefing later. She works on the Falcon instead before, and it’s soothing to fall into the patterns of the mechanics. When she gets Ben’s comm, she wipes her hands off on a rag and heads over to the briefing room. 

She spots Ben as soon as she enters, standing next to the table, near his mother. The tense set of his shoulders speaks to his frustration. Plenty of people had been against him being a part of the Resistance’s planning like this, but Ben’s knowledge of the First Order had forcibly convinced them. She spots a tech entering in front of her nudging their friend and gesturing to Ben with a grin. Suddenly, they trip over something on the smooth floor and go sprawling. They look around wildly for what they fell over, but Rey steps over them neatly and comes up next to Ben.

“Hey, handsome,” she says, leaning up to press a kiss against his cheek. His general glower at the room around him fades and his cheeks flush pink, the color spreading to his ears. She slips her hand under his hood to wrap around the back of his head, the short hairs there tickling her palm. She pulls him down to her, stopping to lay a quick kiss on the tip of his nose before meeting his mouth with hers. She hums into the kiss, and Ben’s hand curls around her hip, stroking lightly. She bumps him playfully and sweeps her tongue into his mouth. 

Leia clears her throat to their left, and they hastily break apart. “Morning, General,” Rey greets, slightly breathlessly. 

“Good morning, Rey.” Leia gives them the look of the exasperated general, but her lips can’t hide the hint of a smile. “I see you’ve found Ben,” she says dryly. 

Rey grins cheerfully. “Of course, can’t miss him. Best-looking one in the room.” 

Leia gives a short laugh of surprise and smiles at Rey, almost gratefully. Rey’s hand finds Ben’s and squeezes it, and he copies the gesture back. 

Leia starts the meeting, explaining the next planned attack on a First Order base. Rey listens carefully, but gets distracted by a trio of pilots whispering to each other across the table. They keep glancing at Ben, and Rey doesn’t need the Force to know what they’re talking about. She glares at them and waits until they can’t avoid looking at her, then drops her hand not holding Ben’s to stroke the lightsaber hanging at her hip meaningfully. The pilots stop talking immediately and the blood drains from their faces. One takes an unconscious step back. Rey smiles.

The meeting goes smoothly otherwise, and with Ben’s information, the attack on the base should be simple. Ben stays afterwards to talk with his mother, while Rey returns to finish her work on the Falcon. 

Finn stops by on his way to help with training, and Rose comes over to help for a while. As Rey’s closing up the ship and bolting the panels back on, Poe wanders over to chat about the fleet, such as it is. She nods as he lays out his plan for what they need next, chipping in to discuss what they need to keep the ships they’ve managed to scrape together in the air. He’s explaining his plans to add weapons to a modified transport that came with some of the new volunteers when he stops talking and his face goes suspiciously blank. Rey frowns, then looks over her shoulder. 

Sure enough, Ben stands in the entrance to the hanger, outlined by the setting sun, hooded robe over his tunic and cowl. Rey looks back at Poe with narrowed eyes, but he’s doing his best to keep his face carefully expressionless. She can’t fault him for that. She walks over to Ben instead, who's glaring over her shoulder at the pilots watching them, but gives her a small smile as she steps into his space . 

“You know, you don’t have to do that,” he tells her, hands landing on her waist. 

She looks up at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Do what?”

He snorts. “I have noticed that people near me keep running into accidents.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says with a smile. 

“Hmmm.” He glances over her, taking in the black streaks all over her skin and clothes. “You look beautiful,” he murmurs, dropping his mouth to hers. She kisses him, slow and deep, likely more affectionately than the rest of the pilots want to see, but she really couldn’t care less.

“I’m covered in grease and whatever else has been stuck in the Falcon,” she says as they part, laughing.

“I know.” His dark eyes drag hotly along her body. A warm flush fills her, and she decides that whatever else Poe had to say isn’t nearly as important as getting Ben back to their quarters and naked as soon as possible. 

“Why don't you help clean me off then?” she asks teasingly, and she thinks she hears someone choking from behind her. Ben's eyes glance over her shoulder as he flushes, but quickly return back to hers.

“Dirty girl,” he says affectionately, rubbing a spot on her chin. 

She scrunches her face and grins at him, then takes Ben's hand and pulls him away. She throws a belated, “See you tomorrow!” back to Poe over her shoulder. His expression is somewhere between horrified and amused, but it soon disappears behind them. 

Rey's quarters are one of the few around to have freshers, a privilege she felt guilty over at first, but now shamelessly abuses. She drags a very willing Ben into the small room and finally lets go of his hand to start stripping her clothes off. She tosses them in a pile, and Ben's clothes soon join, though a little more slowly. She pulls her hair out of its half bun and turns to find him pushing down his pants so she helps him remove them. He immediately bends to kiss her, and she knows he's trying to avoid her looking at the bare length of his body. She meets his kiss, but then breaks away. Her hands push on his shoulders and she takes advantage of his bent height to plant a kiss on top of his patchy bald head, something she's gotten into the habit of doing since his accident. His breath catches, and she smiles against his skin. 

Hands on her waist, he walks her back into the shower, likely in an attempt to distract her. She runs her hand affectionately over his head, rubbing one of the patches of fuzz, but then lets herself be distracted by his lips. He pulls back slightly.

“You taste like engine grease,” he tells her, but doesn’t sound at all put off by it. 

“You’re supposed to be cleaning me,” she points out. 

“Of course, my mistake.” He reaches over and turns the controls for the unit. One of the mingled advantages and disadvantages of this base is that water is more plentiful than sun, which means water units were built as standard rather than sonics. Another reason Rey can’t regret her special treatment. 

Lukewarm water washes over them, dripping over Ben’s head and shoulders to splash onto her. He winces and rubs his hand over the back of his head. 

“Okay?” she asks worriedly.

He nods. “Just...odd.” The water trickles over the smooth skin of his skull and into his eyes. He blinks and shakes it away.

She smiles up at him and lets her hand drift lower. “I could help distract you.”

“I thought I was supposed to be cleaning you?” She laughs.

“We can do that next. I plan on getting dirtier first.” She lowers herself to her knees, keeping her eyes locked on his. He draws in a sharp breath when she wraps her hand around him and drags her nose along the crease at the top of his thigh.

His hair is starting to grow back here too, and right now her has a patch of short curls laying against his skin. She nuzzles into it, around the base of his erection, and he stiffens in her hand. She takes her time teasing him, her tongue flicking out to follow the trails of water that drips down to her from his broad chest. Underneath the sharp mineral tang of the water, she tastes the salt of his sweat and musk.

She presses her mouth to the base of him, wrapping her lips around his cock from the side. Her tongue curls around him, then pulls back. 

“Rey,” he groans above her. 

She looks up and flashes him a pleased grin, then leans back to get at the head of him. Slowly, she lowers her mouth over him, lips tightening around his sensitive ridge. His hands thread through her hair, pulling it back from her face. She keeps her eyes on him while he gently holds her head, fingers cradling the shape of her skull. She barely moves at first, slowly running her tongue over him again and again. Her mouth fills with the taste of him, bitter and salty, but it’s hardly the worst thing she’s tasted. And it’s worth it to watch his breath come in sharp pants as his eyes go hazy. 

Finally, she lowers her mouth more, enveloping him a very little bit at a time. By now, he’s thoroughly forgotten the oddness of water running over his bare skull. He’s much more occupied with his lower head in her mouth, and watching her take it. 

“Fuck, Rey,” he pants. “So good, can’t - “

His hands grip her hair more tightly, and then start to tug at it every so often. She thinks at first it’s unconscious, but then she recognizes a pattern: first one side, then the other, and back again. Except for small wisps, her hair no longer falls in her face from the water. She bobs her head slowly up and down, focus on the way his hands weave back and forth behind her head. He hunches over her, hands slowly moving lower in the same pattern. Suspicious, she reaches up and nearly laughs when she feels what he’s done. While her mouth has been moving over him, he’s pulled her hair back in a loose braid, the top parts rolled back from the crown of her head. He’s gathered her hair as the braid goes down her head, so that it all rests now at her nape before spilling over her back. 

She grins up at him, around his cock, and he flushes at being caught out. With a last suck of her lips, she pulls back, still pumping him in her hand. “I can’t be distracting you enough if you still manage to do this,” she says, running her fingers over her hair. 

“Not hard,” he mumbles. “Used to do it all the time.”

“Not hard?” she repeats, slowing her hand around him. “You sure?” The water from the shower washes away the slick spit she’s left on him, and she takes her time as she caresses his hard length.

“You’re too distracting,” he mutters. “Didn’t want to come as soon as you got your mouth on me.”

“Oh, yeah?” She smirks and sticks her tongue out to lick a broad stripe over his head. 

“Fuck,” he gasps. One hand still rests at the base of the braid and his fingers trace over the interwoven strands. 

“I like it,” she says, tilting her head as she considers. “Very convenient. You could braid my hair when we’re not doing this too.”

He smiles down at her. “Whenever you like, sweetheart.”

She smiles back up at him, then gently takes him into her mouth again. She bobs her head back and forth over him, gradually increasing her pace. Her cheeks hollow as she sucks him deeper, and her hand keeps pace on the length of him her mouth can’t reach. He watches her with eyes blown dark, hand curled around her neck, full lips parted. He thickens even further and she takes him as deep as she can, eyes locking with his as he groans deeply and comes. The thick taste of him slides down her throat and she swallows around him.

“Rey, Rey,” he chants, eyes squeezing shut as his release washes over him. She sits back on her heels and laps at the last drops clinging to his softening member until he tugs her upward with the hand buried in her braid. He wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her deeply, then turns to push her back against the wall. “My turn,” he tells her, eyes bright as he sinks to his knees.

“You don’t have to,” she protests half-heartedly, smiling down at him. She’ll never be against having his mouth on her, but she doesn’t do this to insist on him returning the gesture.

He gives her a playful glare. “My turn,” he insists. His hand wraps around her thigh, encouraging her to rest it over her shoulder, and she willingly complies.

Her spread legs open her to him, and he takes advantage of it. He starts like she did, dragging his nose along the crease of her thigh, and she shivers as his lips skim over her after. One hand braces her hip, and the other parts her folds, sliding up and down to spread the wetness that gathered there as she made him come. He licks around her clit, making her gasp, and then shakes his head in frustration as water drips into his eyes. She laughs as he glares. 

“Here,” she says, smoothing her hand over his head, slicking the water off it. She leaves her hand resting on the top of it, keeping the water from falling into his face. 

“Thank you.” His tone is arrogant, but then he leans forward to bury his face between her thighs. 

His fingers keep her spread for him as his tongue thrusts into her. She rocks her hips helplessly into him, head tossed back against the wall, but then drags her eyes back down to watch him. Even bald, the sight of her head between her thighs is enough to send another rush of arousal through her. Bringing him off with her mouth has already pushed her to the edge, and she pants as his tongue sets up a quick rhythm. She can feel his pleasure in doing this, that he can make her feel this way, make her clench around his tongue and flood his mouth with the taste of her. He dives deeper for more, and her heart swells as he hums in satisfaction. 

Between his fingers and nose and tongue, it doesn’t take long before her body tenses and comes. He pulls his name from her in a single shout that echoes off the walls of the shower. He cleans her arousal from her with his mouth, leaving her shivering with sensitivity, then does the same for his fingers, groaning at the taste. Carefully, he lets her leg fall back down from over his shoulder, then stands to help support her as her knees wobble under her. 

She pulls him down to kiss her again, each of them tasting themselves on the other. Their bodies slide against each other, slick under the water. The temperature has dropped even further, and she leans into him to share his body heat. His arms rub up and down her back, surrounding her. 

She looks up at him with a lazy smile. “So are we actually going to wash off now?”

He groans and leans his head against hers. “I think I’m fighting a losing battle there with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also on [tumblr](http://thewayofthetrashcompactor.tumblr.com/post/173610745613/thewayofthetrashcompactor)!
> 
> And as always, I'd love to hear what you think! <3


	4. Rogue Baldo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after last chapter, I had feelings about braids, and they all spilled over into this one. I have a short final chapter to post after this, which will go up tomorrowish. Thank you again for all your lovely comments!

True to his promise, Ben starts taking the time in the morning to braid Rey’s hair for the day. He’s never been a morning person, especially with how poorly he still sleeps, so he frequently goes through the motions as if in a dream while Rey is wide awake. It’s nice to have those moments of connection between them as they start the day, the weak sun spilling through the window, his sleep-warm body surrounding her as he rhythmically passes her hair through his hands. She knows he’s taking more time with her hair in lieu of being able to care for his own, and she’s happy to let him. 

Leia stops in her tracks the first time she sees Rey wandering the base with braids in her hair. Ben’s gone with an easier style this morning, two smaller braids woven into the sides of the same gathered braid down the back of her head that he gave to her in the shower. Once she’s collected herself, Leia turns from where ever she had been going to walk with Rey.

“I’m guessing my son did your hair today?” she says, with a calculated lightness. 

Rey’s hand automatically flies to the back of her head. “He did,” she says happily. 

Leia hums thoughtfully. “It’s good to see he remembers.” When Rey looks at her in question, she continues. “I taught him, when he was little. I wasn’t sure, after everything…”

Rey runs her hands over the braid again. “Does it mean something?” she asks curiously, wondering if there’s more to the focus in Ben’s hands. 

“Let me see.” Rey stops and bends her knees slightly. Leia tilts her head, looking more carefully at the designs in Rey’s hair. Rey holds still to let her examine it. “It can,” she says finally. “This is a pretty simple one, but you should ask Ben, make him explain it to you.”

“I will.”

Leia smiles. “Good.” She squeezes Rey’s shoulder, and Rey stands again, turning to look at her. “Thank you,” she says, meeting Rey’s eyes with her sad ones, and Rey can see her bondmate reflected in them. She touches Rey’s arm, then turns to go back to her earlier task. Rey watches her leave, chest tight with emotion. 

She spends half the day away from Ben again, and by the time she returns exhausted to her quarters in the evening, she’s forgotten her promise to ask him about the braids. He takes them out for her at night, fingers combing carefully through her hair, like every strand is precious. Tonight, his slow movements help lull her into relaxation, and she leans back against his chest. He pauses to press a kiss into her hair. 

He keeps waking up that little bit earlier to braid new patterns into her hair, and she wears them proudly. Some days are simpler, one braid crossing her head, other days he takes the time for something more intricate, finding hair pins from she doesn’t even know where to keep everything in place. He always makes sure that it’s simple enough to stay out of her way and not get caught as she works, and she loves being able to feel the braids in place and remember him putting him there.

It’s not until she meets up with Ben in the mess for lunch one day and finds his mother sitting with him that she remembers Leia’s instructions. Leia sits quietly with her hooded son as they eat, but her eyes go wide at Rey’s approach. Ben notices and turns to see her, spinning most of the way around to look beyond his cowl. He flushes as he looks between Rey and and his mother, and Rey’s curiosity spikes. 

“Morning,” she says, sliding in to sit next to Ben with her tray. She kisses his cheek just beyond the shadow of his hood. 

Leia nods in greeting. “How are you today, Rey?” 

Rey shrugs. “Good, excited to work on forms again this afternoon. I think I just about have the basics down.”

“That’s wonderful,” Leia praises. She glances at Ben, who neatly avoids her eyes. “Rey, did you ever happen to ask my son about those braids he keeps giving you?” Ben chokes, and Rey pounds his back, looking curiously at him.

Turning back to Leia, Rey shakes her head, the movement making the two looped braids Ben placed in a ponytail at the back of her head sway. “No, I forgot.” She looks at Ben expectantly, but he keeps his eyes on his food. 

Leia hums. “Maybe that’s something you two should talk about one of these days.” Her eyes are still focused on her son, with an air of judgement.

“Maybe,” Rey agrees, trying to catch Ben’s eye.

He shovels down the rest of his food then stands abruptly from the table. “Meet you in the training grounds later?” he asks Rey, still ignoring his mother. Rey nods, bemused, and he rushes off with his tray. Leia shakes her head. 

“Too much like his father,” she says, sadness lacing her attempt at humor. Rey smiles awkwardly at her before turning back to her lunch. She finishes it almost as quickly as Ben then rises to chase after him. Leia pauses her with a hand over hers on the tray. “You wear it well,” she says softly, her eyes holding a wealth of meaning. Rey mumbles her thanks before fleeing. Leia watches her go with a knowing look. 

Rey finds Ben in the area they’ve cleared for training, as promised. With a wooden practice saber in hand, he moves rapidly through the practice forms he’s been teaching her. The ritual of the motions barely contains the power behind them, and Rey stands to watch instead of interrupting. He’s set his hood aside with his robe, and his head gleams along with the sheen of sweat on his thick arms under the light of the pale sun. He moves almost silently, the only sound the swish of his makeshift weapon cutting through the air. When he finishes the set, he lets the wooden saber fall to his side, breathing slightly heavier for his exertions. 

Rey steps up behind him. A slight twitch of his shoulder indicates that he knows she’s there. “You okay?” she asks quietly.

He hesitates. “Yes.”

She steps further into him and places a hand on his shoulder, her head leaning against his other side. “It sounds like we should talk?”

His back drops under her as he sighs. “Yeah.” He reaches up to cover her hand with his and uses it to pull her over to a tree at the edge of the clearing. He sits, leaning back against the tree, then winces and sits up straighter. His legs spread to make space for her between them and his hands guide her as she sits, adjusting her so that her back rests against his chest. He runs his hands over her hair, following the path of the looped braids. She sits and waits for him to talk, enjoying the connection.

“Braids...mean things on Alderaan.” She feels a slight tug as he plays with her hair, running his fingers over each bump. “Meant. Mom and the others did their best to keep those traditions alive. It - There was a lot of history that was lost back then.” Rey listens, barely moving. 

“I used to like playing with her hair when I was little, and I made her try to do mine too. She told me the stories of what they all meant. There was something for everything, birth, death, celebrations…” He pauses. “There was one style she always wore for Remembrance Day, when she met with the rest of the survivors. She was wearing part of it when I came back, a mourning braid. It doesn’t mean anything to almost anyone anymore, there weren’t that many survivors to begin with across the galaxy and then - “ 

He cuts off, the words choked. Rey tries to turn to see him, but he gently holds her in place. His head falls onto her shoulder and he takes several shuddering breaths. She angles herself to rest her hand over his head, stroking softly as she feels his grief pouring over the bond. His hand squeezes her waist in thanks. 

Slowly, he regains himself, and his breath on the back of her shoulder evens out. He leans back again, hands returning to her hair. “So I guess I thought I could get away with this,” he continues, slightly shaky, but picking up the thread as if he hadn’t stopped. “Should have known better than to think the General wouldn’t notice.”

Rey makes an inquisitive sound, but he doesn’t directly respond. “Most of what I’ve been doing hasn’t said anything in particular, some for good luck, or good health, things like that.” He tugs her braids again, gently. “This is...a little more.”

“Yeah?” she prompts, when he doesn’t immediately continue.

“It’s not...marriage, or even a betrothal or anything. But it says you’re being courted, that you...have someone.” He says the words like he’s afraid she’s going to turn on him. 

She does, but not in the way he thinks. She twists in his lap to look at him incredulously. “That’s it?”

He frowns, confused. “Yes?”

She bursts out in laughter. “Force, Ben, the way you and Leia were acting I was waiting for you to say that you’d been using my hair to tell people what I like in bed!”

He turns crimson. “What? No!”

She falls back against his chest, still laughing, then turns his head and pulls his lips down to hers. He kisses her back, although she can still feel his uncertainty. “Ben, if anyone on the base doesn’t already know we’re together, braiding my hair according to ancient traditions isn’t going to clue them in.”

Embarrassment and amusement war across his face. “Yes, but - it’s different. It’s formal, like a commitment.”

She frowns up at him. “Did you really think I wouldn’t be okay with that?”

He looks down and takes her hand in his, playing with her fingers. “I should have asked,” he mumbles. 

Rey nudges his hand with hers. “Maybe. So ask.”

His head jerks up to meet her eyes. She smiles at him. He takes a deep breath to brace himself. “Rey, would you allow me to court you?” She cocks her head.

“How’s that different from what we’ve been doing?”

Ben flounders a bit. “It’s - well, it’s kind of before what we’ve been doing, when you’re getting to know each other - “

“Before you’re sharing a bed?” Rey says with a smirk.

She has to turn her head, but she can just see Ben’s ears flush. “Yes.” She presses a kiss to the sensitive skin just behind his ear, because she can. 

“So what would the style be for what we are then?”

He stares at her for a second, then glances to the side. “I don’t think Alderaan ever came up with something for people who were Force bonded.”

She shifts, not letting him look away. “What about for people who live together? Who love each other?” Her own insecurities niggle at her, but she quiets them by pressing her lips to his

His breath leaves him in a shuddering sigh that gusts against her mouth. He kisses her back, sweetly, a little desperately, then his hands fall to her hips and turn her back against him. “For two people who have made a - a commitment to each other-” he starts, adjusting her so that he can reach her hair. She lets her love for him flow over the bond, and he returns it wholeheartedly. “It would be something like this.” 

His hands gently undo the braids he’d fixed up earlier, letting them fall down. Starting at the end, he slowly unravels each of them, until her hair spreads across her back loosely. His hands comb through it, and she relaxes fully into his touch. He starts a new pair of braids at the base of her head, taking his time with each pass of one strand over another. When they’re finished, he wraps them around as far as they’ll reach, crossing just over the crown of her head. 

“There,” he says quietly. Her fingers trail over the circlet he’s made for her. She turns her head back to kiss him. 

“I love it.” His arms wrap around her as her hand curls up around the back of his neck. She slides it over his skull and her heart swells at the affection and relief she feels from him. 

She turns around in his lap and he lets her, arms wrapping around her waist. Her legs straddle his and her hand cups his head, keeping it protected from the rough tree bark. Their lips meet again, the angle much easier now, letting the kiss deepen. Their chests press together, and Rey doesn’t know if it’s part of the bond, but she can swear their heartbeats match, a rhythm that gradually increases as their kiss drags on and hands begin to wander.

His arms crush her to him with an edge of pressure that keeps her focused in the moment with him, even as the emotion swelling between them makes her feel like she could soar above the little grove they’ve claimed as their own. The Resistance has never felt farther away; it’s just the two of them in an unending afternoon. Her hands run down his neck to the edge of his shirt back up again, never leaving his skin. His curl around her sides, fingers pressing between her ribs with a kind of grateful desperation. She lets everything she feels for him flow freely across the bond, and he returns the gesture until she feels like her heart will swell out of her chest.

It starts slow, but desire rises between them with gentle inevitability. At first it’s just the instinct of wanting to feel more of each other, Ben’s hands pulling up Rey’s shirt to spread across her back, Rey growing frustrated with the way his top keeps her from feeling the muscles of his shoulders. In the next parting for breath, it’s easy enough to draw their clothes over their heads and lay them aside. He mouths at her neck, dragging his lips across her skin, and she nuzzles at his scarred head. 

Bit by bit, Rey's pants find their way down her legs. Kylo's stay on, but Rey undoes the fly and pulls them down as far as she can with him sitting. There's no urgency in the way they come together, and Rey spends her time kissing and caressing every inch of his face before she raises herself over him and takes him in her hand. His hands brace her hips as she sinks down over him, thumbs stroking her skin. She fills herself with him with the force of a gentle sigh and her breath gusts over his head. He wraps her in his arms again, closing the last of the space between them. 

Every rise and fall of her body over his drags her chest against his, and their skin grows increasingly slick, but it's not worth parting for. They pant into each other, lips meeting and then retreating, never staying away for long. The gradual rhythm feels like it could go on forever, Ben and Rey locked together in this moment. The pleasure grows an edge though, a peak in the distance, and they draw towards it as one, entwined in every way possible. Ben drags a hand up, trailing along her braid before coming to rest at the nape of her neck. Their lips part to pant against each other, breath mingling, foreheads pressed together. 

His eyes are closed as she watches, lost in everything between them, and her hand wrapped around the smooth back of his head curves to thumb at his ear. She tugs it slightly and his eyes slide open to meet hers. Her hips snap into his with a touch more pressure, and his hand reaches between them to touch her where she needs it. Their eyes lock, knowing just the moment when the crest finds them both. Her breath catches in her throat as her body clenches around him and he swells and spills inside of her. 

Their rhythm carries them over their peak, and then they gradually slow until they come to rest against each other. Rey's head falls to rest on Ben's shoulder, and she turns her head to nuzzle at his neck and the soft skin behind his ears. Her hand still strokes absently over his bare head, just as his run up and down her back. He softens inside of her and his seed spills between them, but they stay sitting together until Rey's knees start to ache from the ground. Reluctantly, she stands, their hands still lingering over was each other as they redress.

He tugs his shirt back on while still sitting, and she reaches down a hand to pull him up. He stands with a grunt. She leans up and kisses his nose. “So are we actually going to practice forms now?” she teases. He gives her a playful shove.

“I don’t know, I'm not sure you’re ready.” 

As she grins at him and goes to retrieve her practice saber, she makes a mental note to talk to Leia later. She hasn't forgotten what he told her about meanings. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LucasFilm hasn't given us too many details about hair braiding in Alderaanian culture, besides the bit about the mourning braid from the TLJ visual dictionary and the significance of letting a partner take down your hair in Leia, Princess of Alderaan, so I used some fan theories about Leia's hair in ESB and ROTJ here, because I can.
> 
> Also on [tumblr](http://thewayofthetrashcompactor.tumblr.com/post/174724120653/cutting-it-close)!
> 
> And as always, I'd love to hear what you think! <3


	5. Baldo: A Star Wars Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to call this one "The Last Baldo", but actually I have two other Baldo stories planned after I get some stuff for the Reylo Fanfiction Anthology done, so...
> 
> Thank you very much to everyone who has read and reviewed this effort of spite, crack, and a surprising amount of emotions. You are all wonderful people of great taste. XD (Seriously, I appreciate so much everyone who gave this a shot. I still can't believe it was more than two people. Even if it was just out of a sort of morbid curiosity. <3)

She has to rush off after dinner at the end of the day, giving Ben an excuse about needing to talk to Leia about something else and telling him she’ll meet him in their rooms later. He looks at her like he knows there’s something she’s not telling him, which he likely does with the bond, but doesn’t press. Instead, he drops a brief kiss on her lips and agrees that he’ll see her that night. 

Her meeting with Leia takes longer than she expected, and by the time she gets back to their rooms, she’s wrung out. She enters quietly and finds Ben half-asleep on the bed, a datapad next to him and a small light left on that shines over his head. Quietly, she changes into her nightclothes and slips into bed behind him, arm curling over his waist. He stirs, starting to turn back over towards her, but she buries her face in his back. His hand comes to rest over hers, stroking gently and he reaches out to her over the bond. 

“Everything alright?” he asks softly. 

She nods, face dragging against his back. “Yeah.”

She takes his comfort through the bond and lets it hum between them. Her thoughts keep drifting towards the small package she’s left by the door, but she knows it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Settling against her, Ben scrolls through his datapad while his thumb rubs her hand soothingly. She’s nearly asleep when he sets the datapad aside and turns over in her arms. She gives a grumpy sound of protest. 

“Just taking your hair down,” he whispers. 

She settles again and Ben’s hands carefully ease out the braids he secured earlier. At some point, she falls asleep with his hands running through her hair.

They wake up early as usual the next morning and go about their normal rituals. Ben hesitates briefly when she sits on the bed in front of him, then starts braiding her hair in the same pattern he took out the night before. When he finishes, she runs her hands over it and stands, and she can feel his almost guilty pleasure in seeing her wear this for him through the bond. It may look no different than any other braids to most of the base, but it means more than he can say. With that in mind, she leaves him rumpled and half-asleep on the bed and goes to fetch what she and Leia had talked about the previous evening. 

She keeps the small bundle cupped in her hands as she returns to the bed, and Ben starts looking more alert as she approaches. 

“What’s that?” he asks, tilting his head. 

She stands in front of him and spreads her hands open. It takes a second for him to understand what the curled length of fabric represents, but when he gets it, his breath catches, and he sits bolt upright. 

“Is that - ?” he whispers, eyes dark and intense. 

She nods. “I talked to your mom. I wanted to know if this-” she touches her braid “-was just for one partner or if it could be for both. She helped me find the material, and I thought…” She trails off as she unwinds the pile to show him a circlet of dark fabric, braided to mimic the style of her hair. “Can I - ?” she asks, gesturing with it towards his bare head.

He nods quickly, and she drapes the dark loop over his skull, adjusting it so it lays flat. Her hands smooth over it, from his forehead back to his neck, fingers brushing the skin on either side. “There,” she says softly. His hand comes up to feel the edges of the braided band against his head. “Do you want to see?”

“Yes,” he says hoarsely, then stands and stumbles to the fresher to look at himself in the mirror. He can’t stop touching the braid, hand fluttering around his head. 

Rey follows him to the mirror, fidgeting. Her gift to him is simple in its design, and she can’t help but pick out where her hands could have been a little surer in making it. Even with Leia’s help, she feels like it doesn’t quite have the same elegance as what he does for her. Maybe she should have waited, spent more time on getting it perfect, but she’d wanted him to have it as soon as possible. “I wasn’t sure whether to go with the tan like your cowl or the black, I could do the other one too - “

“It’s perfect.” His voice aches with sincerity. “Thank you.” He turns to her. “You said my mom helped?”

She nods. “I wanted to make sure it meant the same thing this way.”

“What’d she think of this?” he asks, his hand caressing the braid curving around her head. 

“She cried, a bit,” Rey admits. “But then she started telling me about some of Alderaan’s other traditions.”

Ben’s hand pauses. “Oh?”

“Mm. It sounds like there were a lot of interesting things going on with weddings. She was talking about finding fabric for a canopy, apparently you’re supposed to have something that’s passed down but…” She gestures generally at the lastest temporary base in a long line. 

“And - what do you think about that?” He speaks carefully, eyes meeting hers before shifting just to the side. 

“It sounds really nice,” Rey says quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She hesitates. “What about you? What do you think?”

His thumb brushes over her cheek. “I think I’d like that a lot.” His voice is almost a whisper, and she can’t resist pushing up on her toes to kiss him. 

“Soon,” she promises, meeting his eyes. He looks back at her intently. “Before…”

“Okay,” he agrees, and kisses her again. She sighs into him, wrapping her arms around him. His hands come to rest on her head and her waist, pulling her further into him. 

She thinks they might be able to leave their room a little late, likely no one will notice, and then one of their comms buzzes with static from next to the bed. She sighs, falling back on her heels. He gives her one last kiss before pulling away.

He dresses and she waits, lingering by the door as he pulls on his pants and tunic. He’s careful not to dislodge his new braid, adjusting it after pulling the tunic over his head. His robe goes on last, and he reaches for the fabric next to it that makes up his cowl. Instead of wrapping it around himself though, he takes a slow breath and lets his hand fall. With his hood still down, leaving his bare head free except for the circlet, he joins her at the door. 

“Ready?” he asks. His posture is stiff, carefully controlled, but his eyes show his resolve.

She takes his hand. “Are you?”

He kisses her hair, overtop of her braids. “With you, always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also on [tumblr](http://thewayofthetrashcompactor.tumblr.com/post/174724120653/cutting-it-close)!
> 
> And as always, I'd love to hear what you think! <3


End file.
